e-Books at Oxford University

How to find e-books in the library catalogue

Oxford’s e-books can be found by searching in the main catalogue SOLO. Most are catalogued individually just like printed books. In addition, many e-book packages are listed by subject on the Oxlip+ 'Subject' tab.

EBL is a growing collection of e-books from major academic publishers worldwide in humanities, science and medicine and social studies. The collection also provides 5 minutes free browse to over 200,000 "non-owned" books in the collection, with the option to send purchase requests to library staff.

Access to e-books on personal e-readers

The wide range of different eBook readers, and the variety of eBook platforms, may cause something downloaded on one device not to work on a different eBook reader. Furthermore, each platform/publisher may place different restrictions on downloaded materials.

License agreements for Oxford's e-book collections permit some downloading of e-books onto mobile e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Reader.

Apple iPad, laptops, and desk tops, can access all of Oxford's e-resources including e-books, using the Oxford Single Sign On.

Many eBooks are freely available from resources such as Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive.

EBL and EBSCO eBooks can be downloaded to a pc and then to a portable eBook reader for a day loan.

Other eBook suppliers permit a limited amount of material (a chapter or equivalent piece of text) to an eBook reader.

Useful software for eReaders

Adobe Digital Editions (for Windows and Mac)*

Bluefire Reader (for Android and iOS)

*Linux users can install an older version of Adobe Digital Editions using Wine by following these instructions (PDF, 279 KB) at your own risk; no support is provided by the Bodleian Libraries.

Borrow an e-Reader!

The Radcliffe Science Library is trialling the loan of e-readers. Oxford students and staff can borrow a Kindle Sony eBook reader or an iPad.

Internet Classics Archive “441 works of classical literature by 59 different authors. Mainly Greco-Roman (some Chinese and Persian), all in English translation.”

The Online Books Page Listing over 35,000 free books on the Web including a few special exhibit listings including A Celebration of Women Writers and Prize Winning Books Online. Updated regularly.

Perseus Digital Library Project Includes: Primary and secondary sources for the study of ancient Greece and Rome; Art & Archaeology Artifact Browser; Primary and secondary sources in early modern English literature.

Prize-Winning Books Online “Read online the complete text of books that have won major literary prizes, like the Newbery Award, the Nobel Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize.”

Project Gutenberg “Download over 30,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone or other device. Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free ebooks.”